Bottle



(N6 Model.) I

E. M. ENGELMAN..

BOTTLE.

No, 566,387. Patented Aug. 25. 1896.

WITNESSES NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE M. ENGELMAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,387, dated August25, 1896. ApplicationfiledDecemberlO,1895- Serial No. 571,620. (Nomodel.)

To all whom/lit may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE M. ENGELMAN, of Detroit, in the county ofWayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bottles, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention relates to improvements in bottles, and particularly tothat class of bottles which are intended to contain liquors and whichhave devices to prevent them from being fraudulently refilled.

The object of my invention is to produce an extremely simple nonrefilling device which is located in the neck of the bottle, which doesnot add materially to the cost of the bottle, which permits the liquorto flow freely from the bottle, but which prevents any liquor from beingforced into the bottle, and thus to provide a simple means of preventingbottles from being filled with spurious materials.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of constructionand combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter de scribed andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of the bottle, showing myimprovements, the neck and parts therein being shown in longitudt' nalsection. Fig. 2 is an inverted end view of the plug in the bottle-neck.Fig. 3 is a broken side elevation of the said plug, showing the upperpart thereof; and Fig. at is a detail plan view of the washer which isused in connection with the plug.

The bottle 10 may be of any approved kind, and it has in its neck ashoulder 11, on which rests the washer 12, which, as illustrated, isopen at the middle to permit the passage of liquor through it, and whichserves as a valveseat, the washer being preferably of cork, although itcan be made of glass, rubber, or any suitable material. The washer ispreferably separable from the neck and plug, as illustrated anddescribed, but it will be seen that the valve seat or washer may be madea fixture in the neck if desired.

Above the washer 12, and resting firmly thereon,is the hollow plug 13,which is re duced at the top and which fits snugly in the bottle-neck,being preferably ground in, although it can be fastened in any suitablemanner. The plug 13 is provided with internal ribs 14, which formchannels 15 between them, running the whole length of the plug from topto bottom, as shown in Fig. 2, through which channels the liquor can runfreely when the bottle is tipped, as hereinafter described, and the ribsserve as guides for the valve and ball, to be hereinafter referred to.

The plug discharges near the top through side ports 16, above which is afrangible shield 17, which prevents anything from being inserted in theplug, and the shield is formed integral with the plug 13, the parts 18being left to support the shield when the ports 16 are made. Thefrangible shield 17 is larger in diameter than the reduced top portionof the plug 13, and so, if an attempt is made to force a wire into theplug to tamper with the valve, the wire is deflected by the shield uponthe tapering or reduced upper part of the plug and so prevented fromentering the plug. If the above result does not take place, thefrangible shield is almost certain to be broken, and thus will show thatthe valve has been tampered with and that the liquor in the bottle ismost likely spurious. The plug by having this reduced upper portion canbe inserted tightly by means of a small wedge or suitable tool; but ifan attempt is made to remove the plug, the reduced or inclined topportion causes the tool to slip from it, and so the plug cannot beremoved and the shield 17 will be broken.

Within the plug and working freely up and down is a valve 19, which ispreferably convex on top and is hollowed out on the bottom, as shown at20, this construction giving to the valve a comparatively sharp annularlower edge, which is adapted to fit closely against the washer orvalve-seat 12. By having the valve concave on the under side, asillustrated, the outflowing'liquor is sure to strike the valve so as toremove it from its seat, and by having the top convex the ball 21 aboveit is surer to act on it and force the valve to its seat. The valve 19is of the same diameter as the interior of the plug at the bottombetween the ribs 14, and so fits snugly and acts quickly.

The valve 19 should be made of cork or other light material, butanything suitable for the purpose may be used, and the ball 21, which isheld above the valve and rolls freely in the plug, should be heavierthan the valve, so that when the bottle is inclined the action of theball will force the valve to its seat. To further facilitate thisaction, the plug is tapered toward the top on its inner side, as shownat 22, and hence when the bottle is held in a nearly horizontal positionwith just inclination enough to slightly raise the neck the ball willroll against the valve and place it against the seat, thus preventingthe bottle from being filled by first laying it on its side andattempting to work the liquor gently into it. The tapering part 22 ofthe plug extends from the top to a point a little below the center ofthe plug and is absolutely straight from this point to the bottom, andso if the bottle is level or even has the top slightly below its centerthe ball 21 will still run downward when an attempt is made to fill thebottle and force the valve 19 to its seat.

WVhen the bottle has been filled with liquor, the device to prevent therefilling is fastened in the neck, after which the ordinary stopper maybe placed in the neck, and when the bottle is to be emptied the stopperis removed and the bottle used in the ordinary way, when the outfiowingliquor displaces the valve 19 and passes out through the channels 15 andports 16 of the plug. As the liquor fiows out the ball 21 fills the toppart of the plug 13, and the liquor passes out through the channelsformed between the ribs 14. Then, however, an attempt is made to refillthe bottle, the inflowing liquor acting on the valve 19 forces thelatter to its seat and so closes the bottle-neck, this action beingfacilitated by the pressure of the ball 21 against the valve, and if itis attempted to float the liquor in slowly by laying the bottle on itsside the ball 21 runs down the incline 22 of the plug and strikes thevalve so as to push the latter to its seat.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent Y 1. The combinationwith the bottle-neck, of the plug fastened therein, the plug being openat each end and having areduced or inclined top portion, and alongitudinal bore adapted to contain a valve with internal side channelsextending the full length of the bore,

. the said bore being tapered from a point near the center to the top ofthe plug, and being straight in its lower part, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with the plug shaped to fit a bottle-neck and with alongitudinal bore extending completely through it endwise and having areduced top portion, the plug being adapted to contain a valve, of thefrangible top or shield formed integral with the plug and supportedslightly above the bore, the edges of the shield projecting outwardbeyond the sides of the bore, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the bottle, of the plug open at each endcontained in the bottleneck and provided with an externally-reduced top,a longitudinal bore tapering from a point near the center to the top,side channels extending the full length of the plug in the walls of thebore, a seat in the bottom of the plug, a frangible shield held slightlyabove the top and extending across the bore, a valve fitting closely inthe bottom part of the plug, and a ball riding on the valve and adaptedto fit in the tapering top, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the bottle having a shoulder in its neck, of thewasher on the shoulder forming a valve-seat, the hollow plug open ateach end held in the neck above the washer and provided with alongitudinal bore having side channels in the walls thereof extendingthe full length of the plug, said bore being tapered from a point nearthe center to the top and straight in its lower part, a frangible shieldheld slightly above the top and extending across the bore, avalvefitting closely in the lower part of the plug, and a ball riding on thevalve, substantially as described.

EUGENE M. ENGELMAN.

\Vitnesses WARREN B. HUTCHINSONL WILLIAM D. PECK.

ICO

